Bone suture

A method of treating a fractured bone, said method comprising the steps of moving an anchor connected with a suture through bone on opposite sides of the fracture, tensioning the suture to transmit force from the suture to the anchor with the anchor on a first side of fracture and with the suture extending across the fracture, transmitting force from a suture retainer to bone on a second side of the fracture, and gripping the suture with the suture retainer while transmitting force from the suture retainer to bone on the second side of the fracture and while tensioning the suture.

A method of attaching a bone fragment to a bone, said method comprising the steps of forming a first hole in the bone fragment, forming a second hole in the bone, positioning a first suture anchor adjacent to a surface of the bone fragment, positioning a second suture anchor adjacent to a surface of the bone, and tensioning a suture extending between the first and second suture anchors through the first and second holes to press the bone fragment against the bone.

A method of attaching a bone fragment to a bone, said method comprising the steps of forming a first hole in the bone fragment, forming a second hole in the bone, moving an anchor connected with a suture through the first and second holes to a position adjacent to a surface on one of the bone fragment and bone, tensioning the suture to transmit force from the suture to the anchor, gripping the suture with a suture retainer, and pressing bone fragment against the bone under the influence of force transmitted between the suture retainer and anchor through the suture.

A method of positioning a suture anchor relative to a bone, said method comprising the steps of moving a long thin member into the bone, moving a drill along the long thin member with the long thin member extending into a passage in the drill, rotating the drill while moving the drill along the long thin member to enlarge an opening through which the long thin member extends, removing the long thin member from the passage in the drill while the drill remains in the bone, and moving an anchor connected with a suture along the passage in the drill while the drill remains in the opening in the bone.

A method of treating a fractured bone, said method comprising the steps of moving a long thin member through bone disposed on opposite sides of the fracture, moving a drill along the long thin member and through the bone disposed on opposite sides of the fracture with the long thin member extending through a passage in the drill, rotating the drill while moving the drill along the long thin member and through the bone on opposite sides of the fracture with the long thin member extending through the passage in the drill, removing the long thin member from the passage while the drill remains in the bone disposed on opposite sides of the fracture, moving at least one anchor connected with a suture through the passage in the drill along a path which extends through the bone on opposite sides of the fracture, removing the drill from the bone on both sides of the fracture, and tensioning suture to transmit force through the suture and the one anchor to the bone with the suture extending across the fracture.

A method of treating a fractured bone, said method comprising the steps of forming a nonlinear passage which extends across the fracture from bone on a first side of the fracture to bone on a second side of the fracture, moving an anchor connected with a suture through the nonlinear passage, transmitting force from the suture to the anchor with the anchor on the first side of the fracture and with the suture extending through the nonlinear passage and across the fracture, and transmitting force from the suture to the bone at a location disposed between opposite ends of the nonlinear passage.

A method of positioning body tissue relative to a bone, said method comprising the steps of moving a first anchor connected with a suture through a passage extending between opposite sides of a bone, tensioning the suture to transmit force from the suture to the first anchor with the first anchor on a first side of the bone, connecting a second anchor with the suture, and transmitting force from the second anchor to the body tissue to press the body tissue against a second side of the bone under the influence of force transmitted from the first anchor through the suture to the second anchor.

A method of positioning body tissue relative to bone, said method comprising the steps of moving an anchor connected with a suture through a passage extending between opposite sides of a bone, tensioning the suture to transmit force from the suture to the anchor with the anchor on a first side of the bone, gripping the suture with a suture retainer, and transmitting force from the suture retainer to the body tissue to press the body tissue against a second side of the bone under the influence of force transmitted from the anchor through the suture to the suture retainer.